CINNAMON BEAR. 
127 
approach the Rocky Mountain chain, and it is apparently quite a northern 
animal. 
Of the habits of this variety we have no accounts, but we may suppose 
that they do not differ in any essential particulars from those of the Black 
Bear, which we shall shortly describe. 
Our figures were made from living specimens in the gardens of the 
Zoological Society of London, Avhich manifested all the restlessness usually 
exhibited by this genus when in a state of captivity. 
We are inclined to consider Sir John Richardson’s “Barren-ground 
Bear” a variety of the common black Bear, — perhaps our present animal ; 
but not having seen any specimen of his Ursus Jlrctos ? Jlmericanus , we do 
not feel justified in expressing more than an opinion on this subject, which 
indeed is founded on the description of the polour of the Barren-ground 
Bear as given by Richardson himself (see Fauna Boreali Americana, pp. 
21 , 22 ). 
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 
Sparingly found in the fur countries west and north of the Missouri, 
extending to the barren grounds of the northwest. 
GENERAL REMARKS. 
We have given a figure of this permanent variety of Bear, not because 
we felt disposed to elevate it into a species, but because it is a variety so 
frequently found in the collections of skins made by our fur companies, 
and which is so often noticed by travellers in the northwest, that errors 
might be made by future naturalists were we to omit mentioning it and 
placing it where it should be. Whilst we are not disposed to figure an 
occasional variety in any species, and have throughout our work rather 
declined doing this, yet we conceive that figures of the permanent varie- 
ties may be useful to future observers in order to awaken inquiry and 
enable them to decide whether they are true species or mere varieties. 
We have done this in the case of some species of squirrel, the otter, and 
the wolves, as well as this variety of Bear. The yellow Bear of Carolina 
no doubt belongs to this variety, and probably the brown Barren-ground 
Bear of Richardson may be referred to the same species, as all Bears 
vary very greatly in size. 
